Vintage Swedish ceramic plant pot planter designed by King Gustaf VI Adolf for JIE Gantofta Sweden.
Jie Gantofta Keramik was founded in 1942 in Helsingborg by John Ewert ‘Jie’ Johnson and initially produced small wooden objects that were furnished with glass or ceramics. The company expanded rapidly and moved to a larger location in Gantofta in 1944. As from 1952, Johnson started to produce ceramics for household use, at first according to traditional methods, but soon the products were manufactured by means of casting moulds and then painted by hand by several designers, such as Ella Bergstrand and Anita Nylund. When this technique became too expensive, the factory began to use silk-screen prints in order to apply decorations to its products. All designs by Anita Nylund were applied according to this method, although the pottery was still produced by Jie himself. In the mid 60s, the company stopped the production of household goods and switched to the manufacturing of decorative goods. The first designer who was hired for that reason was Elsi Bourelius. She mainly designed female figures made of ceramics. The production of wooden objects, however, remained an important discipline for Jie and lasted until well into the 80s. In 1992, Jie Gantofta celebrated its 50th anniversary, but later that year the company went bankrupt and production was transferred abroad, especially to Portugal.
Gustaf VI Adolf (Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf 1882 – 1973) was King of Sweden from 29 October 1950 until his death in 1973. He was the eldest son of Gustaf V and his wife, Victoria of Baden. Before Gustaf Adolf ascended the throne, he had been crown prince for nearly 43 years during his father’s reign. He was a lifelong amateur archeologist particularly interested in Ancient Italian cultures.
- Height – 10 cm
- Width – 13,5 cm
- Design – King Gustaf VI Adolf
- Manufacturer – JIE Gantofta Sweden
- Made in Sweden
- Condition – great / signs of age may appear / few scratches on the bottom
